The present application relates generally to computer software boot techniques, and more particularly to the execution of computer boot techniques within a network interface adapter.
In a typical computer system interconnected to a network, a network interface adapter (NIA) acts as an interface between the host computer and a computer network. The NIA performs the necessary interface functions for transmitting and receiving data over the computer network. The NIA includes a memory for storing data or software program code images that the host computer utilizes in communicating over the computer network. As such, the data and software program code images must be accessible to the host computer in order to be accessed and utilized by the host computer. In order for these resources to be accessible to the host computer, they must be included in the host computer address space. To be included within the host computer address space, these resources need to have memory addresses assigned to them that are accessible by the host computer.
Prior art systems have stored such data and software program code images in serial EEPROMs. However, a bottleneck may exist in the transfer of a data image or a code image from the NIA to the host computer due to the serial nature and speed of such EEPROMs.
It would therefore be desirable to have an NIA that is capable of storing data and software program code images having a non-static host address, and of transferring the data and software program code images stored at an NIA address, which is specifiable and is independent of the host computer address, to the host computer more efficiently.